The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-07-17
GRUMBLES OF THE TENANTS.
HOT WEATHER MAKES BUsY TIMES FOR
THE COMPLAINT BUREAU


what there 10 e CeupIa,n About. and How
the Complaints arc Attended to-Thoso
who Bother Most and Those who Ought TO.
This Is the time Of the year that the Com
plant Bureau Of the Health Department Ia
kept busy. An average Of 100 complaints day
come In, and each one must be attended to.
All this work comes under the department Of
the Sanitary Superintendent, the Complaint
Bureau OF which occupies room 30 at 801 Mott
street. the other side OF Police Headquarters.
There arc two doctors, throe clerks. and an
orderly assigned to this division, and there arc
forty-flve sanitary policemen and forty In
spectors to carry out its DEGREES. From now
until fall and cold weather the Complaint
Bureau will have plenty to do. but then things
slacken until spring.
Over $4,000 complaints came in last year.
They were In all sorts Of shapes. Postal cards
told Of hundreds OF cases. others were made In
person. while the majority came In letters,
often unsigned. Tenants have dread Of the
landlords vengeance II 1t is known that they
COMPLAIN about the premises. That accounts
for 30 many Of the complaints being anony-
nous. About the arst Of May IL the harvest
time for complaints, but that lasts only few
days. Almost every servant who goes to new
place has something to complain over. and
many Of the servants sent their complaints In
writing to the Complaint Bureau Of the Board
Of Health. After the first week In May
thcre is respite until the hot weather
comes. The height Of the thermometer
can then be Judged BY the number OF COM
plants, and the hotter 1t gets the more COM
plants there are. After tho hot weather the
complaints decrease half. and keep on in less
numbers until the height Of winter. In very
cold weather there are few complaints against
the sanitary condition Of any place. What
complaints there are concern frozen pipes.
Some people. when their pipes burst, think
that somehow or other part Of the blame
should fall on the Board Of Health, and they
write to the Complaint Bureau to find out why
Every complaint Is noticed. At once on
being received the original complaints are
On sas h sns
tails OF the complaint whether a. policeman or
an Inspector Is sent to look after It; II the
inspector Is sent, as the case Is usually ofa
character to be investigated. and where 1t is
Hats s. whsre
the premises specified IN the compleint Il
what should be done, and reports TO the Board.
notice is sent to the owners OF fhe properly t
that nothing need Be done there are no further
RSs sesE The. its
Church hs AsoFs End End hs E sS
ss a g. hsn s90 70 sPs
cases up to the Court Of Appeals rather than
81 IN nS ns to phs o.
sanitary condition is Ignorance on the part Of
the owners and tenants. In large estates the
often thrown in contact T the
auainted with the sanitary laws. They do not
Ss the s sS
ffS l aGt s91 Board u asah
fhe thss soard q Hesh viii not thc
tenants Who are dissatisfied with the place can
ants to take their places. =,
The small tenement house owners on the
east side are most Troublesome me pItk
Sounded S' By Grand street. Broadway. Second
street and East River having more complaints
1ay usaay
keepers or storekeepers who have saved money
after SS in person he cannot understand why
ss 81
H 1seiai thar s' tie H inspector; They are Is:
them to do thing they are accustomed to
The, hardest places to deal with are below
Grand street, on the east side. Few complaints
thsy are mostly and not
know that there is Complaint Bureau Of the
vns SRero seS ao
complaints come from people who have not as
worst lind et tenemont houses who seldom soy
snything; The work Of sanitary reform In this n
district is entirely 5y the
By dissatisfied tenants or not. 4 walk through
Hester. Essex; Ludlow. or any Of the sur,
an ordinarily susceptible nose plenty Of ground
ms sI IS ssKsi Sss e Sc sSas
when lively trade Is done IN all kinds Of
poultry. age and previous condition being no
to breSf up this traffic n antiaaated poultry.
When ma man With a collection Of 'redolent
d |. With aa fsS0 u s ssa
c c With brestins up The trafiis il Do;
IN hRns
cease keeping chickens, and ducks under their
beds. In the general desire to econq2m lnae
Street the inhabitants had become accustomed
keeping the poultry In their ro9ms under ,Pdes
and throwing the refuse Into the, street:
| Though It was impossible to search under
every bed. the sanitaIy police have done much
Next TO the east side the majority Of the cases
| come from Harlem. where now houses are
going up fast. When q new house has boon
built beside some vacant lots that are above
grade, the surface water Rftor every rain
runs from the vacant lots into the cellar Of the
sanitary inspector goes to the house, and II he
| finds that the vacant lots are improperly
| drained. notice Is served on the owner OF these
lots that they must drain somewhere else than than
not come from without the cellar but from
within. the cellar must be drained and the
| hoor covered with concrete. In his cellar in
vestiGatiop the Inspector often tlpds that some
old sewer has broken or is leaking SUCH q
case Is attended to by the Department OF Pub
lic Works. which sends gang to repair the
sewer.
The new Tenement House law is causing
more work to the heads Of departments. but as
the force OF inspectors and policemen has been
increased In men to allow OF O thorough en-
forcement OF the law. the crush OF extra work
on the old men Is not 80 great.
PROHIBITION IN RHODE ISLAND.
After . Years Trial It 10 Proueunced .
Faree-Rum Drinkins ON the Increase.